Love is All Around
by Kristen3
Summary: It's Mary's birthday, and her husband wants to do something special for her. Written as a gift for Aria (crazysockmonkeys). Rating changed for slight language.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Despite my apparent obsession with _Frasier_, and Niles and Daphne, this idea for an MTM story came to me recently. I knew I needed to do it. I've been very lucky w/ the friends I've made here who encourage my writing. And since Aria (crazysockmonkeys) recently dedicated a chapter to me, I felt the need to return the favor and dedicate this to her as a thank-you for all of her incredible love and support. This is not one of my usual one-shots, but unfortunately, this is as far as I've gotten right now. Hopefully that will change soon!

As Mary drove home from work, she thought back to that long-ago day when she'd first moved to Minneapolis. She had taken Phyllis up on her offer to rent a small apartment. It had been a temporary solution, or so she thought. Just a way to let her fiancee know she wouldn't wait around for him forever. But fate had other plans.

Her seven years at WJM had been some of the best in her life. She had found friends, a family, really. And she'd learned that being single wasn't necessarily a bad thing. But most importantly, she'd found her calling. Mary was heartbroken when she was fired by WJM's latest owner. But once she stopped crying and began to look at her options, she found that it was not hard to find another station that wanted her. It also hadn't hurt that Lou had called a few friends of his to put in a good word for her. The next thing that Mary Richards knew, she was working at one of the city's top TV stations. No more small budgets or low ratings. And no more Ted Baxter!

Yes, things had changed in Mary's life. Especially when she'd done a piece on the new children's wing of a local hospital. The project was led by one of the facility's top surgeons, Dr. David Ford. She spent many hours with him, learning all about why he felt so passionate about it. Perhaps not surprisingly, David began to fall for her. But Mary also found herself having feelings for him. The relationship was very different from most of the ones she'd had previously. Because David was a doctor, he understood how important Mary's career was. He fully supported her work at the TV station. Sure, their schedules were crazy, and sometimes they didn't have as much time for each other as they'd like, but they were both happy.

The past twenty years had flown by. Suddenly, she was no longer a young woman. In just a few weeks, she would be celebrating her 50th birthday. Mary had never given much thought to age, but this was a number she couldn't ignore. How much longer could she keep working the way she did? Sometimes, she did think of retiring, but the next time a big story broke, she just knew she couldn't do it. But, as always, she tried to think positively. She knew there was no way her husband would let this occasion go unrecognized.

Dr. David Ford had a very busy day ahead. Several surgeries, a few consultations, and some research to do. But before he could think of any of that, he had to solve the problem of what to do for his wife's birthday. He thought about the things she liked. Over the years, he'd given her more jewelery and clothes than she could ever possibly need. A trip would be nice, but he wanted something really special. Suddenly, he had an idea. Mary often told stories of her years at WJM. He knew that she still kept in touch with her coworkers from back then, but they hadn't physically seen one another very often. The solution was obvious. A surprise birthday party. He would invite all of her old friends. Well, now he had one more thing to add to the to-do list: making phone calls.


	2. Chapter 2

David couldn't deny he was nervous as he prepared to dial the phone. No, actually that wasn't true. He was scared to death. He had to be a bit sneaky in order to make this plan a reality. Obviously, he couldn't ask Mary for the names and addresses of her old friends, so he had to get them without her knowledge. That part was surprisingly simple. He knew his wife well enough that he was able to guess the password to her computer within a few tries. From there, he quickly found her online address book. That left only one hurdle: actually making the calls.

He'd decided to start with the hardest one first. Lou Grant. Besides Rhoda, there was no one from WJM that Mary spoke of more frequently. David had met the man once, at their wedding. From what Mary had told him, he knew that Lou had been much more than a boss to her. They were never romantic, at least not seriously. Mary had been explicit on that point. David remembered vividly the way Lou had stared at him, as if sizing him up. He definitely got the sense that Mary's former boss didn't approve. But Mary had pulled Lou aside, and after that, he was polite, if not overly friendly.

As the phone rang, David felt his heart pound.

"Hello?" The gruff voice on the other end of the phone exactly matched the man David remembered.

"Um, Mr. Grant?" David couldn't help smiling, knowing how Mary had always addressed him formally. "I'm Dr. David Ford. You know, Mary's husband?"

Lou sighed. "Yeah, I remember. Did something happen to her?" His first instinct was to panic. What other possible reason could there be for Mary's husband to contact him?

"No. She's fine, I assure you. But, you know, her birthday's coming up, and I wondered if you could make it out here for her birthday party."

"A party?" Lou asked, hesitantly. "I don't think I can. Tell Mary I'm sorry, but I just don't think I can go to another one of her parties. Her parties are the reason I drink!" That was somewhat of an exaggeration, but there was more than a little truth to it.

At first, David didn't understand. Mary didn't often entertain, but the rare times she invited colleagues over for dinner, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. But then he remembered the stories. The time Rhoda's date threw off the seating plan for Mary's dinner party, resulting in a shortage of food. Or the time that Georgette chose to go into labor at another party. He laughed when he realized what Lou meant. "No, it's not like that. This is a _surprise_ party. Mary has no idea."

The rush of relief Lou felt was immediate. "Oh, thank God. I've missed her, you know." It wasn't easy for him to admit it, but he couldn't deny it, either. For so many years, he'd watched, time and again, as Mary searched for a man to share her life with. More often than not, he found himself consoling her when things inevitably didn't work out. At one point, Lou had wondered if _he_ could be that man, but ultimately, he realized that he didn't love Mary "that way." He had come to believe that there simply was no man special enough to deserve her. Even though David had seemed polite, Lou didn't trust him. But Mary had understood. She told him that she loved David more than she'd loved any of the men she'd dated back then. She said that she would not have planned this wedding, and invited everyone here that she loved, if she weren't sure of what she was doing. In that moment, Lou knew he had to let her go. They visited only briefly after that. But Lou kept an eye on her career, and he never stopped loving her, or being proud of all that she'd accomplished.

"She misses you, too," David said, when the silence became unbearable.

Lou swallowed hard. So many times over the years, he'd almost picked up the phone to call her, but he figured she didn't need his advice anymore. Not the way she used to. The thought hurt, but he understood. "I'll be there. By the way, have you invited anyone else yet?" Suddenly, Lou was filled with a desire not only to see Mary, but the rest of his friends.

"No," David replied. "I wanted to get you out of the way first. But, um, if you'd like to help me get in touch with everyone, that would be great."

Lou nodded. "I'll call Murray. He wouldn't miss this for anything. What about Rhoda?" Because he and Mary had spoken so infrequently, he had no idea if she and Rhoda were still close. It was hard to imagine them ever separating, but time could easily have changed things.

"She's going to be my next call. Even if nobody else comes, I know Mary will be thrilled to see you and Rhoda."

David's words confirmed what Lou had suspected. After all, if Rhoda was still around, _she_ would likely have been the one arranging this. "Well, if you can find her, I'm sure she'll come," Lou said. It was hard to imagine what would've separated her from Mary. Even though time had changed things for all of them, he knew some things were still certain. One of those things was the importance of a best friend.


	3. Chapter 3

David was once again feeling nervous as he dialed the phone. This time, he dialed a New York phone number. He couldn't be certain if it was correct. Though Mary and Rhoda had been close friends for years, they had drifted apart. Neither he nor Mary was ever sure of what the exact cause was. There was no fight, no single moment when the friendship ended. Just a series of unreturned phone messages which led to a deafening silence. Many times, Mary had complained to her husband, wondering what could've happened. He'd only met Rhoda a handful of times, but he well remembered her bluntness.

Mary had laughingly recalled their first meeting many times. "Hello, get out of my apartment." It was hard to believe their relationship had started with such hostility. David now wondered just what sort of reaction he might get when the phone was answered.

Before David could even plan what he might say, a voice came on the line. "Hello?"

"Rhoda?" David asked. He thought he'd detected a New York accent, but he wasn't sure.

"Yeah, that's me. What do you want?" Rhoda's work as a costume designer kept her busy, and she had little time to waste with wrong numbers, or telemarketers.

"Well, I'm Mary's husband." _You_ _know, the best friend you forgot all about,_ he mentally added.

"Oh," Rhoda said. "Um, how is she?" Suddenly, Rhoda felt strangely shy. This was something she was completely unprepared for.

"She's fine. But her birthday's coming, and I thought it might be nice to have a party for her."

"A party for Mary, huh?" Rhoda couldn't help laughing. She remembered Mary's own parties vividly.

"I know what you're thinking, and it isn't like that. It's a surprise. I don't know what happened between you two, but I hope you'll come. It would mean a lot to her."

Rhoda sighed. "I think I can do that." A wave of guilt hit as she recalled the way she'd gradually distanced herself from her best friend, shortly after her wedding. Somehow, seeing Mary so happy and in love had made Rhoda jealous. Not just the ordinary jealousy she'd often felt over Mary's "perfect" life. This was something far more painful. Rhoda had long felt that her brief marriage to Joe would likely be the only one she'd ever have. And she'd been okay with that. But then Mary fell in love.

It simply became harder and harder to talk to Mary, hearing how wonderful married life was. Rhoda had tried many times to let her friend know how she felt. But somehow, she just couldn't find the words. A woman known for speaking her mind suddenly was afraid to say something. She figured Mary would eventually realize that they were now at different places in their lives, and that would be that. But, apparently, Mary hadn't figured that out. Without a doubt, Rhoda knew her friend must be hurting. "Look, I know it's been a long time since I've picked up a phone," she admitted.

"It has," David replied. He didn't want to accuse her of anything, but it was hard not to picture the look on Mary's face as she'd repeatedly asked "Why?"

"All right, you want to know the truth? I was jealous. It sounds stupid to say it now. I know I've been a terrible friend. But Mary's life was always so perfect. I was sure she'd be married before I was. Of course she wasn't. I just felt like her being happy made me seem even lonelier than I was. Do you think she'd forgive me?" Rhoda's heart pounded as she waited for an answer.

"I'm pretty sure she would. I can't guarantee it, but I think if you came, it would be a start."

The thought of seeing Mary again scared Rhoda. There was no denying that. But a tiny surge of hope hit Rhoda's heart when she remembered the traits about Mary that she'd always admired. No matter what, Mary had done her best to be there for her friends whenever they needed her. Rhoda only hoped that Mary would see how much she was needed now.


	4. Chapter 4

David turned to his wife and smiled, slipping his arm under hers. He knew that many things about her had changed. She didn't move as quickly as she used to. But time could never take away her smile or her heart, and those were the things he'd fallen in love with so long ago. When they were first married, he used to wonder how anyone could ever let her go. But their loss had been his gain.

All of the planning was about to pay off. He had reserved a table at one of Mary's favorite restaurants. She thought it would be a romantic dinner for two, but of course Rhoda, Lou, and Murray would be there waiting for them. Rhoda had even been able to get in touch with Georgette and invite her as well. Since Ted's untimely death, poor Georgette had become even more quiet than she'd been previously.

The four were seated at a table, hardly able to believe they were in the same room. The last time they'd all seen each other had been Mary's wedding. Now that seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I wish Ted could be here," Georgette said softly.

Rhoda reached across the table to squeeze her friend's hand. "I know. But let's not ruin Mary's birthday by dwelling on that, OK? You know Mare's not going to want us all sitting here crying our eyes out."

Lou nodded. "Rhoda's right. I sure as hell didn't fly here all the way from California just to talk about _Ted_!" The anchorman's death had touched all of them. Lou regretted the times he'd been tough on Ted, but he also knew there were times when such treatment had been deserved.

"Well, if Ted were here, I'm sure we'd be right back into our old routine," Murray said with a smile. "It's too bad none of us thought to invite Sue Ann. _She's _fun at a party."

Lou rolled his eyes. "That's what you think!" He emptied his glass in a single gulp.

Before anyone could say another word, Mary and David entered the room. It took a moment before Mary took in the sight of her friends and realized what was happening. "What is this?" she asked her husband.

"Well, I wanted to do something really special for your birthday, so I made a couple of calls."

Rhoda was out of her seat almost immediately. She hugged Mary tightly for a long moment. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Mary pulled out of the embrace and smiled. "It's OK. You're forgiven." For an instant, Mary recalled another time when she and Rhoda had needed to apologize. Rhoda had let it slip to Mary's coworkers that she hadn't really graduated from college. Mary was furious, and the two did not speak for about a week. But both were miserable, and they made up. Even all these years later, some things remained the same.

Lou watched the scene before him as memories played in his mind. He could still see Mary sitting across from him during one of the most memorable job interviews of his career. He was never quite sure just why he felt he had to offer her the job, but he was always very grateful that he had.

Gradually, Mary realized that there were others here to see her. She could've easily spent hours talking to Rhoda, and she had a feeling she probably would, later. But then Lou got up and began walking toward her. "Mr. Grant." Mary's voice broke, just as it had so many times before.

Lou smiled and kissed her cheek before hugging her for a long moment. He was never one to get emotional. True to form, he merely looked her over before saying, "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too," Mary replied. "I can't believe you came!"

Lou rolled his eyes. "You think I'd miss _this_? Well, I almost didn't come, 'cause I thought it might end up being another one of your rotten parties!"

Mary laughed. "I can't say I blame you." She knew that no one here would ever let her forget about those parties.

"Hi, Mary," Georgette said softly from her seat.

"Georgette, come over here." The sight of her made Mary remember Ted. After he had passed, Mary knew that Georgette would be lost, and she had meant to keep an eye on her friend. But, sadly, work got in the way, and she never quite got around to it.

When Georgette neared her, Mary pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry about Ted. How are you doing?"

A sad smile appeared on Georgette's face. "I'm OK. Luckily I've still got David and Mary Lou. I'm not alone. And I know Ted's watching me, wherever he is."

"If he isn't watching his own news broadcasts," Murray said with a smile.

"Murray," Mary said. "You haven't changed a bit."

He got up from his seat and went over to her. "Neither have you." He kissed her cheek. Seeing her again, he remembered how much he'd loved her. In fact, he'd been _in_ love with her. "I asked Marie if she wanted to come, but she's kind of busy visiting our grandkids."

Mary smiled. "Oh, that's so nice. I'm sure you must be so happy."

"Yeah," Murray said, smiling proudly. "Li Chin is a doctor now. Can you imagine that? My son, a doctor."

"That's nothing," Lou said. "I've got _great_-grandchildren." His news reporting days were behind him, but he didn't mind a bit. He knew he hadn't given his family all the attention they deserved when he was working, and now was his time to make up for it.

Mary looked around the room, still amazed that these people were here. She had thought she would be spending a romantic evening with her husband. That would've been wonderful, of course. But this was something she never would've expected or thought possible.

Life had taken her far from that WJM newsroom. Often, those memories seemed like something out of another life entirely. It was easy to forget how many people had helped her get where she was now. But, in a sense, she knew she hadn't forgotten them at all, and she never would.

For so long, Mary's life had revolved around her husband and her work. She couldn't have asked for more than that. But, now, she began to wonder if she should seriously consider retiring. After all, she had found her family for the second time. These people were just as important to her now as they'd been all those years ago. There was so much more to life than just chasing the next headline. There was also love and friendship. Maybe it was time she went after those things instead.

**The End**


End file.
